Montana Ale Works

Montana Ale Works was founded by Mark and Christin Taché, with Pete Hendrickson and Steve Shuel, seven years after the couple founded MacKenzie River Pizza Co., a then-handcrafted wood-fired pizza emporium exploding Bozeman's downtown restaurant scene with its artisan pies, hand-hewn ambiance, and passionate service culture. The success of MacKenzie - combined with the community's need for a casual-upscale, smoke-free restaurant, bar and gathering place - led to the birth of Montana Ale Works in 2000, spearheading the revitalization of Bozeman's historic East End, and raising the bar yet again for casual dining in the Gallatin Valley. Mark and Christin's role has always been to steer conceptual design and growth, guide employee culture, training and management decisions, handle marketing and promotions, and collaborate on menu design and development. Their commitment is to a business philosophy based on teamwork, empowerment and open, honest communication, gleaned from their lifetime in sports. Both are former world-class ski racers. Christin is an Olympic silver medalist (1984 Giant Slalom, Sarajevo), triple 1982 World Championship medalist, and thirty-year expert broadcast analyst of Olympic, World Championship and World Cup ski racing. Mark raced on the U.S. Ski Team for eight years internationally - on the World Cup and in two World Championships - before turning Pro to race head-to-head for seven years in the heydey of the US Pro Tour. "Restaurants weren't part of any grand scheme," says Mark, of a resumé that includes four unique restaurant concepts, including one in California. "We definitely wanted to see if what we'd learned at the highest level of skiing had any practical application in the real world. We had learned the value of systems, team-building, setting high goals and standards. And from our international travel, we appreciated the solace and fellowship of great food and service." "It's a work in progress," adds Christin, "and we've had to learn so much. But we're always striving to stay ahead of the curve. It's an ethic we got from skiing. We listen to people who know more than us, which is pretty much everyone we surround ourselves with," she laughs. Adds Mark, "Developing, inspiring and guiding people in their work is what we're all about. It's an incredibly rewarding adventure."